Flower farm crisis threatens dreams of a good education

By Antony Gitonga     

Naivasha, Kenya: When 147 students from Sher Moi Primary School in Naivasha sat their KCPE exams last year, they were optimistic they would perform well.

After eight years of hard work, sleepless nights, prayers and determination, the students from the school popularly known as Karuturi Primary were oozing confidence.

And when the results were released late last year, their tears of suffering and hunger were forgotten – the school was ranked the second best public institution in Naivasha district. Seven students scored over 400 marks, 30 had over 350, 49 had over 300 marks while 48 candidate scored over 250 marks. But the pupils knew all was not well due to the financial crisis that has hit Karuturi Flower farm where their more than 3,000 parents work. So far, only 58 of them have been selected to join national and county schools. Four of the candidates have been sponsored by Equity Foundation and Starehe Boys, leaving the fate of the other 143 students in balance.

In a painful realisation, the rest of the candidates now face the prospect of dropping from school while others have opted to repeat primary school despite achieving good results. The impasse has been caused by the crisis that has hit Karuturi flower farm, where workers have gone for months without pay and their SACCO has gone under.

The farm was put under receivership a week ago. The workers were paid part of their November and December salary, and about 3,000 of them sent on compassionate leave.

According to Ferdinand Juma, the secretary Kenya Plantations and Agriculture Workers Union (KPAWU) Naivasha branch, the farm owes workers more than Sh18 million in Sacco earnings. He said they have gone to the Industrial Court in Nakuru seeking to have the cash recovered from the Indian investor. “There is a major crisis in this farm which has affected the workers, their children and even traders and we ask the President to intervene”.

According to Olkaria Member of the  County Assembly Peter Pallang’a, 28 students have received admission letters to national schools, while 30 were selected to join county schools.   “We have a major crisis in this area as the students did their part but they are suffering because of other people’s mistake,” he said.

The school’s chairman Francis Waga says the parents cannot raise the school fees. He expressed fear that the students’ hard work could have gone to waste. “Some of the teachers employed by the flower farm have not been paid and we are calling on the government and donors to assist,” he said.

Some of the best performing candidates spoke of their worry and sleepless nights as their letters of admission to secondary school have deadlines.

Belinda Owinja, who scored 366 marks, says she was selected to join Asumbi Girls High School but she fears she cannot make it. “I want to be a lecturer but I fear that I might not achieve my dream due to the ongoing crisis at the flower farm,” she said.

Master Ogolla Odhiambo, who garnered 385 marks, and has been selected to join Murang’a High School, echoed her sentiments. “Our parents cannot afford to pay the school fees and we are asking people of goodwill to come to our help,” he pleaded.